Is 24 Kmh a respectable Average speed

"Richard Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich is
mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I feel Like I am going ok, but I thought I would ask this NG.

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Thankyou for any feedback.

Richard

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It depends on your age and fitness. Covering 72km in three hours seems good
to me when I am in my late 50's but it would be lousy for a clubman racing
cyclist.

John Dwyer

"Richard Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich is
mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I feel Like I am going ok, but I thought I would ask this NG.

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Thankyou for any feedback.

Richard

I'd be pretty happy but it depends on the road surface. Around the bay
(Melbourne) I'd be expecting to go a bit faster, but on suburban roads (with
traffic and traffic lights) and cycle tracks (with kids and dogs) I'm
usually happy with anything over 20km/h.
As for the road bike's going past liek you're standing still I get that on
my mountain bike and my road bike so I'm a bit more accepting of it on the
mountain bike (at least I have some excuse).

Dave B.

Greetings Richard,
I would say 24 k/mh is quite a respectable
speed, my average on a hybrid bike around the city would probably be
around 18-20 k/mh. Road bikes always burn you off, not only do they have
much higher gearing, they also have much lower weight and rolling
resistance as well. I used to like riding a racing tandem and then we
would burn them off, at least until I bingled it a year or two ago. The
tandem could average 30 k/mh no trouble.
Regards,
Ray

Richard Jones said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich is
mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I feel Like I am going ok, but I thought I would ask this NG.

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Thankyou for any feedback.

Richard

John Dwyer said:

Quoted message said:

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?

Also, you don't know (s)he didn't sprint past you on purpose,
then stop around the corner and almost collapse with exhaustion.

That's what happens everytime I do it 🙂

-kt

--
Kingsley Turner,
(mailto: [email hidden])
http://MadDogsBreakfast.com/ABFAQ - news:aus.bicycle Frequenly Asked Questions

Richard Jones said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich is
mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

Quoted message said:

I feel Like I am going ok, but I thought I would ask this NG.

Quoted message said:

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Quoted message said:

Thankyou for any feedback.

Quoted message said:

Richard

I really wouldn't worry about it.

Wherever you go there are going to be people who are faster
and people who are slower. Like somebody already said,
quite often when a road bike blasts past, they've used
all their energy just to do that.

What's important for me, is that I've done a better job
than last time. What other people are doing is just
not my concern.

I've been riding regularly now for about 7 years and until
a few months ago I would've been averaging 25-26 on the road bike
so your 24 sounds fine. For some reason, now I'm averaging 28-29
on every ride. Even so, sometimes another road bike will breeze past
me.

I've found a HRM is a great toy to help you keep your own pace and
not worry about what other riders are doing.

Also, remember that your 24km/h is a _LOT_ more exercise than most
people are getting these days 🙂

Cheers.
--
Nick

kingsley said:

Also, you don't know (s)he didn't sprint past you on purpose,
then stop around the corner and almost collapse with
exhaustion.

That's what happens everytime I do it 🙂

I'm well and truly on the *heavy* side, and I also like to
maintain a constant effort and cadence up hill and down. So I'm
forever being overtaken up hills and then sometimes I get to
overtake again on the other side 🙂

I always average between 19 and 22 kph on my hybrid, usually
regardless of the ride distance (from 20 to 100 km). My eldest
son (early 20s, quite fit) manages to average about 25 kph on his
MTB with his growling knobbly tyres.

John

"Richard Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich is
mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Did you enjoy the ride? Yes? Good. That's what counts.

Now, so you don't say I didn't answer your question, 24kph
is a good speed but it depends on MANY factors.
You say "on a mountain bike" - does this mean on an mtb on
the road or off road? BIG difference!
Were there traffic lights? Did you stop for punctures? Lunch?
Have you spent the last five years training for 3 hour rides?
Did you specifically set out to achieve the best avg. speed in
3 hours or is that just what you saw on your computer when
you got home? Makes a big difference if you want to get a
fast average BEFORE you go out for a ride.
Are you a 26 y.o. professional racer or a 82 y.o. Norm who
has just bought his first bike since being 10 y.o.?
Were those few climbs freeway on/off ramps or were they
Mont Ventoux and Col de la Madeleine ?
Did you finish the TdF the day before or have you rested
for a week before riding?

I ride an mtb, an ss mtb, a road bike and a track bike. I
pass people on all of them. I am passed while riding all
of them. On the same day, I may pass someone and they
may pass me later. It just depends on if you can be
bothered chasing and how much speed you have in your
legs at the time. If you can smoke someone, cool. If they
can smoke you - cool. It's all good! :-)

hippy
forgot to sleep last night, dribble mode=on

"NickZX6R" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I've been riding regularly now for about 7 years and until
a few months ago I would've been averaging 25-26 on the road bike
so your 24 sounds fine. For some reason, now I'm averaging 28-29
on every ride.

Which reminds me... using slicks on your mtb rather than knobbies
should push your average speed up by at least 3kph, probably
more - it did for me. Throw some cash towards a set of slicks for
you next tyre purchase and you can BUY a speed increase :-)

hippy

Gee Hippy, I just asked for a simple answer , not your life story.
"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Richard Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but

then

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Did you enjoy the ride? Yes? Good. That's what counts.

Now, so you don't say I didn't answer your question, 24kph
is a good speed but it depends on MANY factors.
You say "on a mountain bike" - does this mean on an mtb on
the road or off road? BIG difference!
Were there traffic lights? Did you stop for punctures? Lunch?
Have you spent the last five years training for 3 hour rides?
Did you specifically set out to achieve the best avg. speed in
3 hours or is that just what you saw on your computer when
you got home? Makes a big difference if you want to get a
fast average BEFORE you go out for a ride.
Are you a 26 y.o. professional racer or a 82 y.o. Norm who
has just bought his first bike since being 10 y.o.?
Were those few climbs freeway on/off ramps or were they
Mont Ventoux and Col de la Madeleine ?
Did you finish the TdF the day before or have you rested
for a week before riding?

I ride an mtb, an ss mtb, a road bike and a track bike. I
pass people on all of them. I am passed while riding all
of them. On the same day, I may pass someone and they
may pass me later. It just depends on if you can be
bothered chasing and how much speed you have in your
legs at the time. If you can smoke someone, cool. If they
can smoke you - cool. It's all good! :-)

hippy
forgot to sleep last night, dribble mode=on

It sounds pretty good to me. I am a 63 year old cyclist that has been
riding regularly for 2 years and averaging 500 km per month on a mountain
bike.
When I ride for 3 hours on a fairly flat ride on a sealed road I would
average about 21 km/h.
Joseph
"Richard Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich is
mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I feel Like I am going ok, but I thought I would ask this NG.

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Thankyou for any feedback.

Richard

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Snip

Quoted message said:

On the same day, I may pass someone and they
may pass me later. It just depends on if you can be
bothered chasing and how much speed you have in your
legs at the time. If you can smoke someone, cool. If they
can smoke you - cool. It's all good! :-)

hippy
forgot to sleep last night, dribble mode=on

Snip

Have to agree on the "smoking" but I approach it somewhat differently. I
try to vary my route to work early in the morning on the mountain bike
(semi-slicks at 60 psi) and either follow the Yarra Trail all the way to the
city, or sometimes I detour and follow Yarra Boulevard. There are generally
quite a few roadies out at that time of morning so there is ample
opportunity for mind games and hi-jinks........

A couple of times I have settled into an easy pace and waited for someone to
overtake me......a friendly roadie usually obliges on an uphill and I give
him 5 to 10 metres before I stop bludging and start to put in. I usually
move up to about 1 metre behind and 1 metre to the left (wide bike lanes) so
that they know that i am not bludging off their slipstream and then I pace
them for a while. Generally I wait until the last and longest uphill that
heads up to a stop sign at the top and then I put in a big effort to pass
and then drop them....Next comes the hard part.....try to keep the good
speed up for the last 50m or so whilst trying to look like I am just out for
a Sunday arvo cruise (legs are burning at this stage). Is pretty good when
said roadie is on super expensive bike and is only out for a ride (ie no
backpack for commute to work).

Only problem is that every now and then I come unstuck and I am not even
able to make up the initial 10 metres.....big reality check.....hehe. I
guess it could also be argued that said roadie is training within specific
heart rate limits and is sticking to his guns despite my inability to do so
(can't resist a challenge).

When I was in Canberra, used to do similar thing with the two kids in a bike
trailer (the secret is to sit upright and say g'day as you go past). Also
managed it a few times with my left leg in a cast (waterproof,
gortex-lined)....gotta love it.

Gags

"Billy Jnr" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gee Hippy, I just asked for a simple answer , not your life story.

hehe sorry.. the point I was trying to make was that
it is very hard to give a yes/no answer to your question
with all the variables involved.

hippy

"Gags" <drgagnon@nospam_ozemail.com.au> wrote in message news:rWNQb.955

Quoted message said:

When I was in Canberra, used to do similar thing with the two kids in a

bike

Quoted message said:

trailer (the secret is to sit upright and say g'day as you go past). Also
managed it a few times with my left leg in a cast (waterproof,
gortex-lined)....gotta love it.

I was at the track a couple of weeks ago and met a
friendly dude (sorry, forgotten his name) there who
had a false leg. I have two working legs. We did an
effort together. He beat me. Respect!. :-)

hippy

Even though 24 Kmh seems pretty good for an average speed to me, you're
always going to be slow on the MTB for several reasons. The most
significant differences are that the rolling friction is much greater on
mountain bikes than road bikes and you are much less aerodynamic due to your
posture. Wind resistance accounts for roughly 90% or the total resistance
at one's maximum speed.

Example of my average speeds on a flat commute:
My mountain bike with 2.5" knobbies: 15mph (24 Kmh)
Same bike with 1.25" slicks: 17 mph (27 Kmh)
My single-speed road bike: 19 mph (30 Kmh) - more time to enjoy my morning
coffee!

-Collin

"Richard Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich is
mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I feel Like I am going ok, but I thought I would ask this NG.

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?
As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

Thankyou for any feedback.

Richard

"Collin O'Neill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qVmRb.4970

Quoted message said:

My single-speed road bike: 19 mph (30 Kmh) - more time to enjoy my morning
coffee!

Can you supply any details of this bike?
What frame, what gearing, where do you ride?

I have a SS mtb already and a candidate in the garage
just begging for a road bike SS conversion...

hippy
bwahahaha... spanners at the ready!

Reynolds 501 frame and fork (Peugeot)
700c x 28 kevlar-belt tires on Mavic rims, 14 gauge spokes, Specialized
sealed bearing hubs (rear freewheel)
Specialized cranks and chainring - 52 teeth
Rear sprocket is an ACS Claws freewheel - 18 teeth
Old Campy bottom bracket
Old Weinman sidepull cantilever brakes with newer Shimano Alivio levers.
The rear axle is solid, front is quick-release
Dropout spacing is 126 mm
I weigh 210lbs (95 kilos)

I did not do the work, but I if it didn't require redishing the wheel it
would be easy to convert at home. I also took it to a mechanic because the
frame was bent, the axle snapped, half the spokes bent, chain ruined and
derailleur destroyed when a plastic bag got sucked into the derailleur on a
very windy day. Because the derailleur hanger was completely gone and I use
the bike almost exclusively for commuting on flat ground, someone suggested
converting it to a single speed and I am glad I took the suggestion!

The ride I normally make is 4.5 km each way on flat ground in varying
intensities of wind with many stop lights in Chicago, US. Dave B mentioned
riding around the bay in Melbourne and I've driven that route while visiting
Australia. I think this bike would be ideal for that ride.

You've probably run into the problem of getting proper chain tension with
vertical dropouts on the MTB - not so with an old road frame! It's also
incredibly smooth. Proper chainline in the key to the smoothness. The
freewheel is really beefy and durable. The ACS Claws are medium-low end but
I suspect I'll never have to replace them, and servicing is just a matter of
dripping oil into them if they seem dry.

Maybe you experienced this with the MTB, but I found that I ride with
slightly higher gear than I used with my old twelve-speed simply because
there is less internal friction. Compared to my MTB with knobby tires riding
is effortless.

Happy wrenching!

-Collin

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Collin O'Neill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:qVmRb.4970

Quoted message said:

My single-speed road bike: 19 mph (30 Kmh) - more time to enjoy my

morning

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

coffee!

Can you supply any details of this bike?
What frame, what gearing, where do you ride?

I have a SS mtb already and a candidate in the garage
just begging for a road bike SS conversion...

hippy
bwahahaha... spanners at the ready!

Reply-To: [email hidden]

am 24.01.04 schrieb Richard [email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Is 24 Kmh a respectable speed on a Mountain Bike for a 3 hour ride wich

is

Quoted message said:

mainly flat, and just a few climbs along the way.

I don't use a MTB, but I think its okay. When I go on long trips with my
racing bike I normally don't go faster.

Quoted message said:

I feel Like I am going ok, but I thought I would ask this NG.

If you feel ok its ok.

Quoted message said:

I just hate when a Road Bike passes me like I am standing still, but then
again this is quite normal isn't it ?

In a flat area they can go faster, but you can beat them at the hills.
Many of those fast riders are bad climbers.

Quoted message said:

As they have better gearing than a Mountain Bike right ?

AFAIK the technic is equal, but a MTB is built from climbing and off road.
A road bike is only build to go fast.